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GM fined maximum $35M for ignition switch recalls

RECALLED:GM has been fined $35 million for its handling of recalls. Photo: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. government fines General Motors maximum $35 million for ignition switch recall delays.

The announcement came as part of the investigation into General Motors’ handling of recalled vehicles because of defective ignition switches, the Department of Transportation said in a statement.

The department, along with other U.S. agencies is investigating the timing of the automaker’s recall over the faulty switches, which have been linked to at least 13 deaths.

GM engineers first discovered the defect in 2001, and the company has been criticized for failing to detect the faulty part and for not recalling the vehicles earlier.

Congress, the Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and several states are conducting their own investigations, and GM has an internal probe that is expected to be completed within the next two weeks.